My favorite poem is Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. The thought of that road less travelled allows me to see the world as a place rife with choices and opportunities. The key is you have to choose!

One road may be familiar and safe while the other holds uncertainty but the promise of new experiences. I'll admit to sometimes taking the safe and easy path, but there have been times when I've stepped outside my comfort zone — ziplining in Costa Rica, backpacking in the Grand Canyon, launching a blog — and found rich rewards. The unfamiliar path can be frightening, but we never know what we're capable of if we don't take that step.

Step out. Take a chance. The road is waiting. The choice is yours. 
                 
Have you taken a chance lately? Have you tried something new but decidedly different? What were the results? Please share your thoughts in the Comments.
    
As Frost's poem is in the public domain, I am sharing it below in its entirety.

    

My love of photography goes back to childhood. I remember creating a poster for 4-H detailing the parts of a camera. In my 20s, I bought my first SLR camera and took a few photography classes. Last year, I purchased my first digital SLR and rediscovered my love of photography, a passion I had allowed to atrophy with the death of film and the rise of digital. 

Since investing in the new camera, I've begun again to explore the world through a camera lens, rediscovering the thrill of choosing f-stops and shutter speeds while plotting composition and depth of field. Much of my recent work has focused (no pun intended) on getting up close and personal with everything from snails and snakes to flowers and frogs. With macro work, it's all about the details.

In thinking about the joy I find in viewing Mother Nature up close, I was reminded that we humans can learn a lesson from macro photography: that occasionally we need to get small (apologies to Steve Martin) and forget the big picture. To put a new twist on an old adage: Sometimes we fail to see the trees for the forest. We become so overwhelmed by problems in the world at large that we may fail to recognize the small problems right in front of us. 

Take the sad-looking person in the checkout line. Perhaps a smile is all they need to lift them up. What about holding the door for the person just behind you? Or complimenting your co-worker on her fabulous fashion sense? Every day, around every corner, there are opportunities for SMALL random acts that can make a BIG difference to someone. It's all in the details.

Remember the analogy of the stone thrown into a body of water and how the ripple grows larger as it goes outward? Let's go create some ripples today. They may seem small in the moment, but who knows what ripple effect they might have. And some day, when you most need it, that ripple might reach out and touch you.

Have you made ripples recently? Did someone perform a small act that made a big difference to you? Please share your thoughts in the Comments.

    

When you've given all you have, it's hard to keep on giving. That's why I took a short hiatus from blogging to (a) go on vacation (b) deal with household calamities (hail damage to car and house; a ruptured water heater) and (c) just to chill and refill after a months-long freelance project. 

Each of us is a vessel, a conduit, bringing our own unique talent to the world — whatever that may be. But it's hard to pour out anything to share with the world when your vessel is empty. Sometimes you need to allow yourself time to rest and recharge — and refill.

How does one refill? I believe it's by engaging in whatever allows YOU to find enjoyment and a sense of self. Whether that's gardening, photography, listening to music, going for a hike, taking a vacation or taking time to reconnect with good friends, refilling the vessel is different for each person. 

So, if you're feeling a bit harried, take a break. Then you'll come back to the work you need to do with fresh eyes and new ideas. And if that means taking a month away from your blog, I believe the people who care about what you have to say will still be here to listen ... when you're ready to speak.

Thanks for listening, er, reading. And if the gauge on your vessel is getting near empty, take time to engage in what you love and start refilling it today.


How's the level on your vessel today? How do you refill? Do you feel guilty when you take a break to recharge? Please share your thoughts and observations in the Comments below.

P.S. to my writer friends: The long-overdue grammar/writing blog is now up. Please check out my first post.

During the months of January and February, I was busy at work editing a book titled Write for the Fight: A Collection of Seasonal Essays. This kaleidoscope of essays is written by people from varied backgrounds with unique writing styles and perspectives on life. The book takes a look at the seasons of life: looking back at age 5; having a little talk with your 20-year-old self; considering what's left on your bucket list; and looking ahead to your 80th birthday. 

For me, the work of editing the book was a wonderful tour of the life experiences and imaginations of some creative, insightful and entertaining minds. Each writer in this anthology approaches the spring, summer, fall and winter of their life with their own distinct voice. Some of the essays are heartwarming, while others are poignant. Some are downright hilarious. From the touching words and phrasing of Galit Breen to the poignant reflections of Tess Hardwick, Write for the Fight is a collection of stories that will touch your heart and tickle your funny bone. Here are some tidbits to tease you...

But don't take my word for it. Reviewers at Barnes & Noble have given Write For the Fight overwhelmingly positive reviews, like this one:

A delightful read that keeps you coming back for more. So fun and interesting moving through the seasons with these writers and their stories. Rarely can a book be this reflective, thought provoking, funny and sentimental. ~ Reviewer Becky Lower

As you travel through the seasons of life with these diverse writers, you will laugh, cry, smile and perhaps feel a bit pensive. Viewing life through their eyes, you will experience a roller coaster of emotions and find yourself pondering the seasons of your own life — I believe in a positive way. 

As I took that journey, I found myself looking inward and outward, reflecting on the past and considering the future. Overall, the introspection left me feeling satisfied with where I've been, where I am and where I'm going. Sure, there have been mistakes along the way, but that's part of the learning experience that IS life. It hasn't been perfect, but it has been a wonderful, crazy ride filled with people and places that have touched my life in meaningful ways. While I can clearly see the past, the future is not yet written. It's like a book I've yet to pen, with chapters not yet finished. While I'll have to wait and see what happens as those pages unfold, this book left me with a sense of peace about the past, the present and the future.

Write For the Fight is currently available in Nook and Kindle versions (both priced at $4.99) and will be released on iTunes later this month. A paperback version is set for release on April 30 at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The co-authors (Tess Hardwick and Tracey Hansen) and contributors are donating their proceeds to support research to find a cure for breast cancer, a disease they all feel drawn to fight. And so they write. And ask others to write. 

And, now, we ask you to read.

Comments are welcome and always appreciated. Please feel free to share your thoughts below.